Not All Google Touches Turns to Gold

Business Week takes a cold-hearted look at the facts about many of Google’s new product launches – though they start with a sizzle, they end with a fizzle.

…if you cut through the hype, Google’s intimidation factor quickly fizzles. An analysis of some two dozen new ventures launched over the past four years shows that Google has yet to establish a single market leader outside its core search business, where it continues to chew up Microsoft and Yahoo.

Some analysts are concerned that Google is desperate to find a new revenue stream and is launching new products, not without a plan, but because the can.

…after sparking substantial buzz, most of Google’s nonsearch offerings quickly fade from view. “People give Google the victory in the beginning and don’t show up later to notice that things didn’t go anywhere,” says Paul S. Kedrosky, a venture investor at Ventures West Management Inc. “Google has product ADD. They don’t know why they’re getting into all of these products. They have fantastic cash flow but terrible discipline on products,” says Kedrosky. “It’s a dangerous combination.”

UPDATE: E-consultancy points to a comment made by Scott Karp, which suggests Google may be a one-hit wonder…”I wonder if Google is like one of those musicians whose first album is such a runaway success that they are never able to outdo themselves â€” think Alanis Morissette.”